Utah approved a bill on Thursday that would allow government officials to refuse to marry couples, including same-sex couples, for religious reasons, and require a county clerk's office to designate someone to marry all couples if the clerk opts out

Gov. Gary Herbert on Thursday signed into law an anti-discrimination measure that earned the support of the Mormon church amid a crowd that brought smiling clergy members together with LGBT activists draped in rainbow flags.

Attorneys for three Utah gay and lesbian couples formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to take Utah's appeal of a favorable same-sex marriage ruling, following through on what they said they would do earlier this month.